What the Future Holds
by belasgrl
Summary: Joey is graduating from high school. What does her future hold?
1. Chapter 1

17 year old Josephine Peabody was getting ready for her high school graduation. Her hair was in an updo and curled, and she was in a black, long-sleeved dress that went just below her knees. She looked at herself in the mirror, fussing about every detail.

There was a knock at her door. "Come in." She already knew who it was.

Mr. Peabody entered her room, dressed in a suit with a blue bowtie. He looked at his daughter, who looked at him back. "You look beautiful, Josephine," the canine said. "I want you to know that I'm very proud of you. You have come so far since I first fostered you four years ago." Tears filled his brilliant green eyes.

"Thank you, Daddy. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have gotten this far. I wouldn't have made it to graduation or gotten accepted into art school. I love you." She stood up and hugged him.

The canine hugged her back. "I love you, too, Josephine. I can't take all the credit. I have helped you, but YOU were the one who achieved all this. Tonight is one of the most important nights of your life. Cherish it always."

"I will."

Joey looked at the clock. "We better get going. I have to be there early."

"I know. I came in to see if you were ready."

"Almost," she said. She walked to her jewelry box and got out the necklace with the star pendant her father gave her years ago when she went to her first dance. "Will you help me put it on?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied. As he put the necklace on Joey, he remarked, "I'm surprised you kept it."

The teenage girl smiled. "It's special to me. I'm ready to go now."

Mr. Peabody nodded, and the two left the penthouse to go to the high school.


	2. Chapter 2

Mr. Peabody and Joey arrived at the high school that Joey had attended. The canine took a seat in the auditorium while Joey went off to get her robe.

As Joey was putting it on, she saw her boyfriend, Alessandro, who already had his hat and graduation robe on. She hugged him and kissed him on the lips. They smiled at each other.

"This is it," Joey said, holding his hands.

"Yes. Are you nervous?" Alessandro asked.

"A little, but I'm excited. This is a huge moment."

At that second, Joey spotted her best friend, Christy, who just came in. They ran to each other and hugged.

"We made it," Christy said, excited.

Joey nodded in agreement. "We survived."

As soon as all the graduates were ready and it was time, Joey and all her classmates filed in the auditorium and took their seats. Joey saw her father in the audience. He smiled at her when they made eye contact. She smiled back.

The ceremony began. There were multiple speeches made by the principal, superintendent, valedictorian of the class, etc. The students from the drama class sang a few songs.

During the ceremony, Joey's mood changed. She had been cheerful, but then, it hit her like a ton of bricks. This was the last time she would ever be in school. This was the last time she and her classmates would ever all be in the same place at the same time. A long chapter in her life was ending. Everyone was so excited that they were graduating, but suddenly, Joey didn't feel like celebrating. Sure, school hadn't been easy, but it was consistent. It was a routine. While others saw this event as a new beginning, Joey perceived this as an ending, and the smile she had worn faded. However, she watched with joy when both her boyfriend and her best friend were called up to take their diplomas, because even though she was sad, she was also proud that they had made it this far.

"Josephine Samantha Peabody."

Joey held her breath as she walked on the stage. She hoped that she wouldn't fall as she walked. She shook hands with the superintendent and took her diploma. She heard her father cheering for her in the audience. She stepped off the stage and sat down in her seat and sighed in relief. She did exactly what she was suppose to and didn't mess up.

Later, everyone was given a flower to hand to their mother. Joey went to Mr. Peabody and presented the flower she was given to him. They hugged, and he kissed her cheek. "I'm so proud of you," he told Joey, smiling warmly. She smiled back.

The ceremony lasted two hours. By the time it was over, everyone was ready to go home. Pictures had been taken, and before they left, Joey took one last look around. Then, she and Mr. Peabody went back to the penthouse.


	3. Chapter 3

When they got home, Joey immediately dressed in her pajamas. It had been an exhausting day, and all she wanted to do was unwind. She sat on her bed and picked up her diploma off her nightstand and looked at it. It was proof that she had gotten through some of the toughest years of her life.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in," she said.

Mr. Peabody opened the door and came inside her room. He smiled. "You did very well tonight. I'm extremely proud of you, Josephine."

"Thank you, Daddy."

Joey looked at the diploma again. Suddenly, tears filled her eyes, and she set the document back on the nightstand before it could get wet.

Mr. Peabody saw her expression and sat on the bed next to her. She hugged him and cried. She was overwhelmed with so many different emotions. The canine was quiet. He held his daughter in his arms and let her sob.

"I'm so sad, Daddy. Sad, happy, and…scared."

"Scared of what?" he asked, softly.

"What the future holds. I mean, everything is going to be so different now. I'm scared of change."

"I know, sweetie. Graduating from high school is a big change, but it isn't as bad as it seems. Your life will be a lot different, but not everything will be. You still have Alessandro and Christy, and of course, myself. You still have your memories, and those are things no one can take away. Think of this as a new chapter in your story. You're writing your own book."

Joey stopped crying. "Thank you, Daddy."

"You're welcome, Josephine. Get some rest. You've had a big day, and we've got to get ready for Sunday."

Sunday. The graduation party. She almost forgot about that. She and Mr. Peabody were hosting it at the penthouse, and quite a few people were coming. She couldn't say she was terribly excited, but it was a special occasion, so she couldn't complain too much.

Mr. Peabody kissed her on the cheek good night, and he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Joey didn't immediately go to sleep after that. She was plagued by millions of different thoughts, some good, some bad. Finally, sometime during the early morning, she was able to fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day and Sunday were spent preparing for the graduation party. Sunday morning, as Joey was finishing some of the hors d'oeuvres, Mr. Peabody came in with some envelopes. "These came in the mail yesterday for you. Here, let me finish that."

Mr. Peabody took over finishing the food while Joey opened her mail. They were mostly graduation cards. There was even one from the President of the United States. Life was interesting sometimes from having a famous father.

The guests started arriving that afternoon. Joey only really got excited when Alessandro and Christy arrived. She hugged them both and spent most of the time talking to them and staying close to them, since out of everyone there beside Mr. Peabody, those two were the ones she felt the most comfortable around.

Everyone at the party ate and played games, and Joey opened some gifts. The party seemed to drag on, but she did her best to be attentive and polite.

As the party died down, Joey took a break from socializing and went outside. She took a deep breath and looked at the city. It was beautiful. It was so alive. Here, she didn't feel like she was cut off from society. She had lived in some rural areas before, and she always felt trapped in those places. She had decided long ago she never wanted to leave the city again.

"Hi."

Joey turned around. Standing behind her was Alessandro.

"Hi sweetie. I needed a breather."

"It's okay. Actually, I've been waiting to get a moment alone with you. We…need to talk."

Joey's heart sank, and she immediately felt sick to her stomach. She knew when people said they wanted to talk, that usually wasn't a good thing.  
Joey tried her best not to show fear, but it was written all over her face. Alessandro immediately noticed this and said, "It's nothing bad." He held her hands, which were shaking. "Joey, it's okay. Please relax."

Joey calmed down and tried to steady her voice. "Okay. What is it?"

"Joey, we're out of high school now, and we both got accepted into the same art school." He smiled at her, reassuringly. She tried to smile back, but she still couldn't help feeling scared.

He continued. "We've been together for a long time, and I really love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He got down on one knee and took a small black box out of his pocket. He opened it. Inside was a diamond engagement ring with a silver band. "Josephine Peabody, will you marry me?"

Joey felt like her heart stopped for a brief second. The fear and nausea she had only moments ago were now replaced with relief, love, and joy. She threw her arms around him and exclaimed, "Yes! Yes, I'd love to!"  
They kissed each other on the lips, then Alessandro put the ring on Joey's finger. It felt strange, but it looked beautiful. To her, it was the most beautiful piece of jewelry in the world. She didn't mind that the diamond was small; all she cared about was the love behind it.

When Joey looked at Alessandro again, she saw that he looked extremely happy. This was the start of a new chapter in both of their lives.


End file.
